Flexible cylinder for soldering fruit-cans



(No Model.)

C. B. ADKERSON. Flexible Cylinder for Soldering Fruit Gens.

Patented Sept. 14, 1,880.

IMM/bf fue MMM i?? /l.

N. PETERS, PHOTD-LIYNDGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. D C.

NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

CHARLES B. ADKERSON, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

FLEXiBLE. CYLINDER FOR SOLDERING FRUIT-CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,223, datedSeptember 14, 1880.

' Application filed Ju1y14,1eso. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs B. ADKERsoN, a citizen oi" the UnitedStates, residing at Decatur, in the county ot' Macon and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvenient in a FlexibleCylinder for Solder ing Fruit-Cans, ot' which the following is aspcciication.

My invention relates to a device for use in the manufact-ure of sheet*metal fruit-cans which are cylindrical in form; and itconsists in asteel cylinder having a handle orbail, and having au zuljusting-screw tochangeits diameter, and a radially-operating spring at one end, wherebyit readily adjusts itself to various sizes of can-bottoms, and holds thecan and bottom together while being soldered. I attain this objectby thedevice illustrated in the accoinjianying drawings, in which- Figure l isa vertical transverse section of thc cylinder on the line fr x, Fig. 2.Fig'. 2 is an end view of the bottom, and represented as cut oft', outhe line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on line z e,Fig. 1.

Corresponding letters represent corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

A is the cylinder. B is the handle or bail. C is the radial spring,which is fastened 'to the cylinder by riveting inside near the bottomend, and is designed to expand the lower end of the cylinder, so that itwill conform to the various sizes ot' can-bottoms.

D is an adjustingscrew, and is attached to the inner lap of thecylinder, near the top, by thejointed piece E, and is provided with thethumb-nut F and spiral spring H. Said spiral spring is confined betweenthe standard G and the jointed end of the screw D, and is designed tomaintain an even tension on the thumb-nut F, and admits of an easymovement of that end ot' the cylinder, while the lower end is expandedor contracted, thus avoiding any cramping of the standard while themachine is in usc.

The standard G is riveted to the outer lap of the cylinder bya steinwhich passes through a slot iu the inner lap of the cylinder, so as toallow the cylinder to be expanded or contracted at will by turning thethumb-nut F.

It is obvious that the spring C at the bottom of the cylinder willconform to the va rious diameters attained by the adjustingscrew I).

J is a rivet fastened to the outer lap of the cylinder, and operates inthe slot I in the inner lap to prevent the cylinder from expanding toofar at that end.

The upper edge of the cylinder is bent over, forming a recess, as shownat a, Fig. l, and

serves a double purpose-first, to confine thel can to the cylinder, andsecond, to act as a stop to prevent the cylinder from being forced toofar into the can.

Having thus described my invention in detail, the operation is asfollows: By holding the machine by thehandle the sheet-tin, after being`cut to a size and formed as a cylinder, is slipped over the cylinderuntil it reaches the recess shown at a, Fig.1. Then, by grasping thecylinder around the body having the can thereon, contracting it with thehand until it is slnall enough to allow the top ot the can to be put on,it will be seen that as soon as the top is on the can it will bc heldthere by the radial spring as it presses outward on the cylinder. Havingthus secured the can to the cylinder the soldering` is done as follows:By holding the cylinder by the handle in the left hand, having the ironin the right, the iron is passed along the sea-1n from top to bottom.Then the cylinder is turned slowly around, allowing the iron to followthe seam around the can, thus securing the top to the can. The inishedcan is easily removed from the cylinder by the hand.

It is preferable to have a slight projection on the bench to act as acenter while turning the cylinder.

By this device it will be seen that cans may be made very rapidly.

I am aware that prior to my invention soldering-clamps having iiexiblecylinders have been patented. I therefore do not claim such acombination broadly; but,

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A tlexible cylinder provided with an adjusting-screw, D, andthumb-nut F, the standard Gr, and spiral spring H, as and for thepurpose herein shown and described.

2. A flexible cylinder provided with the ra dially-operating spring C,when arranged to operate as and for the purpose shown and described.

CHARLES B. ADKERSON.

Witnesses G. L. WAeeoNEn, JAMES S. CARTER.

IOG

